Factors affecting stopping distances

Thinking distance depends on speed, but it also may be affected by the condition of the driver. A driver who is affected by alcohol or drugs may ract slowly (which means that the driver's reaction time has increased) and this will increase the driver's thinking distance. In the UK, over 20% of drivers involved in accidents are found to have traced of illegal drugs in their bloodstream, although it has yet to be established how much this can be considered a cause of accients. Older people also tend to have slower reactions, so their thinking distance is also likely to be greater.

Braking distnaces are affected by factors which govern the deceleration of the car. A poorly maintained car may have faulty brakes which cannot provide…